Contrary to some rumors, LaMelo told Yahoo Sports he is staying in Australia for the entire season despite his team’s last-place record of 3-9. “I don’t know where that rumor came from, but when I decided to come play over here, I committed to the whole season. I’m not leaving early,” he told Yahoo Sports.
Tag: draft
Marc Stein: All elements of the NBA’s …
Marc Stein: Any such measure would have …
An area in which there are still many …
An area in which there are still many questions, though, comes off the court. While the attachment to his father, LaVar, will always hang over him, it’s not the only area scouts and general managers have hesitations. In a piece on Sunday in which DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz discussed which prospect should top the 2020 NBA Draft big board, Givony talked about NBA teams being uncertain about whether they can trust Ball to lead the franchise. However, I believe that if the draft were held today, (Ball) probably would not be the No. 1 pick. Of course, that will heavily depend on the team that ends up winning the May lottery. But both Schmitz and I have just received a significant amount of blowback from NBA teams who say that they simply don’t trust Ball enough to hand him the keys to their franchise. They worry about what all the attention around him will do to their team culture, how strong his work ethic is and whether his father, LaVar, could become a distraction.
Such reportedly was the case when the …
Such reportedly was the case when the Kings and general manager Vlade Divac chose to pass on Luka Doncic to select Marvin Bagley III with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “My understanding is that [Divac] being so close to Luka and knowing his dad so well factored into their decision,” MacMahon said on ESPN’s “The Woj Pod,” via NBC Sports’ Kurt Helin. “Basically, he didn’t think a whole lot of Luka’s dad, and the whole like father like son … well … no, this is a different dude. “You messed that one up, Vlade.”
Grant Napear: File this under the …
Grant Napear: Bc I was with Vlade today …
The Celtics have given no indication …
The Celtics have given no indication that they’re going to trade the pick. They’ve had a high bar for the pick all along and it has not come up in trade discussions—though it would have, had the Celtics been able to get into talks with New Orleans for an Anthony Davis trade. “It’s a high-value pick no matter what happens, it is a lottery pick,” one rival Gm told Heavy.com. “They’d be willing to trade the other pick they have but it wouldn’t make sense to move the Memphis pick. If it’s Anthony Davis then, OK, you change your plans. But there’s not really anyone on the market who is going to get them to move that.”
Paschall is that good. And his teammate …
Paschall is that good. And his teammate Draymond Green thinks “too old” is “hilarious.” “There’s this narrative of like, ‘This guy is too old.’ That doesn’t make sense,” Green said. “How many guys are like LeBron James and great at 35? It’s not realistic. If a guy can come in and help right away, it doesn’t make sense to me.” “Draft these guys who are 18 or 19 and some of them look like f—ing idiots when they step on the NBA floor. Say, ‘Oh, we’re going to bring this guy along, he has a lot of potential.’ All potential means is somebody who ain’t done s–t. Ain’t proved nothing. I think it’s stupid.”
Oklahoma City Thunder top draft picks through the years
From Russell Westbrook and James Harden to Steven Adams and Terrance Ferguson, OKC Thunder Wire recalls the team’s top selections since 2008.
The Oklahoma City Thunder has missed the NBA playoffs just once in the past decade.
Unfortunately for the team’s fans, that run of success might be coming to an end, as the franchise retools its roster for the future. But there are plenty of reasons for optimism down the road. By trading stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets, respectively, the Thunder acquired seven first-round draft choices.
The team also landed a conditional first-round pick when it traded forward Jerami Grant to the Denver Nuggets. In addition to Oklahoma City’s own picks, that means the Thunder could have 15 first-round draft picks between 2020 and 2026.
So while the immediate future of the team on the court is uncertain, the long-term prospects of the franchise are promising.
With all that in mind, let’s look back at how general manager Sam Presti has utilized the team’s top draft picks through the years.
2008: Russell Westbrook, PG, UCLA
Round 1, No. 4 overall
Technically, Westbrook was drafted when the franchise still was known as the Seattle SuperSonics, although the team would relocate to Oklahoma City by the start of the ensuing season. All Westbrook did in the following 11 seasons was play more minutes, score more points, record more assists, grab more rebounds and make more steals than anyone to ever wear a Thunder uniform. He helped lead the team to the 2012 NBA Finals, won the 2016-17 NBA MVP award and represented the Thunder in eight NBA All-Star Games before being traded to the Houston Rockets in July.
Notable: Oklahoma City selected big man Serge Ibaka with the No. 24 pick in 2008. He would set a franchise record with 1,300 blocked shots over his seven seasons with the Thunder.
2009 / 2010 / 2011 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019